


Rent

by AntarcticBird



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-18
Updated: 2014-12-18
Packaged: 2018-03-01 23:45:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2792063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AntarcticBird/pseuds/AntarcticBird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He's in his final year of college. He just wants to live in peace.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rent

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [klaineadvent](http://klaineadvent.tumblr.com/) Day 17: Rent

“What do you mean, you're moving out?” Kurt asks, lifting his head from where he's bent over his dinner, fork suspended halfway to his mouth.

“Sorry,” Santana says, shrugging. “I didn't mean to spring it on you like that. But yeah.”

“Um. When?”

She grins apologetically. “In four weeks?”

Kurt gasps. “Santana -”

“I am sorry. But if your boyfriend asked you to move in with him you'd do it too.”

“I don't have a boyfriend,” he reminds her.

“Because you never let me set you up.”

“You're abandoning me to live with your girlfriend?” He knows he should be happy for her, but right now he's just in shock, slowly starting to panic.

“That's a harsh way of phrasing it.”

“I can't afford the rent for this place on my own!”

“So find a new roommate,” she says.

“Like it's that easy?”

She shrugs. “I'll help you!”

“Ugh.” He drops his head onto the table and sighs deeply. “If I didn't love you so much I'd hate you right now.”

“I love you too,” she says, bends down to hug his shoulders. “We'll find you someone awesome to share the rent with.”

**

Turns out, looking for a roommate not only means meeting new people, it is also _really_ stressful and occasionally very weird, and it's not that Kurt thinks he's very picky, especially since he really needs someone to help with the rent, but it still takes only about five days before he's lost all hope.

The first guy who comes by immediately measures the living room to determine where the best place for his terrarium would be, because apparently he keeps pet tarantulas. He's crossed off of the list as soon as he's left.

The second guy tells him the room is not for him but for his mom who currently lives with him; he just really desperately wants her out of his apartment already.

Next is a girl who doesn't even look around at all, instead drinks five cups of coffee in Kurt's kitchen while texting her boyfriend the entire time.

Afterwards he meets with a few college freshmen who are looking for places off campus and Kurt feels terrible about turning them down, but he's just not too thrilled about living with someone who's never lived on their own before. He doesn't want to be responsible for someone still learning the importance of cleaning and buying groceries and he doesn't want to play tour guide for anyone, and he doesn't want to make any new friends. He also turns down anyone just looking for an off-campus place to throw parties. He's in his final year of college. He just wants to live in peace.

He has five days left before Santana moves out and he's seen so many people he can't even keep track of it, he's getting desperate and already picturing himself living in some dark alley behind a few dumpsters after he gets evicted, when the doorbell rings and he snaps his head up from the list of people he's already turned down.

Right, he remembers, one more today. He'd almost forgot about this last one, after already having seen four people today alone.

He opens the door while quickly checking his list again to figure out who he's seeing. All it says is 'Blaine,' no specifics, no age, nothing to go on that would really be helpful in any way.

“Hi,” a voice says, and he looks up, meeting the eyes of a nervous-looking guy a few inches shorter than himself, impeccably dressed and looking friendly enough, friendly and nice and handsome and _young_.

“Hi,” Kurt replies, definitely not getting his hopes up. This Blaine, whoever he turns out to be, has _freshman_ written all over him. And really, he does feel awful about it, but he has a busy schedule and he's really just not looking to house-train a recent high school graduate.

“I'm Blaine,” the guy says, extending a hand, and, okay, manners. Kurt does like someone with good manners. “I … called? A couple days ago? About the room?”

“Yes!” Kurt smiles back, shakes the guy's hand. “I'm Kurt. Please, come on in!”

Blaine takes the full tour of the apartment. He smiles the entire time, he seems calm, a little excited but definitely very serious for someone just starting college, and not only does he find nice things to say about the size of the place and the cleanness of the bathroom, he also compliments the décor and color scheme of the living room and goes all wide-eyed and enthusiastic when Kurt mentions he's in his final year at NYADA.

“I just started there!” Blaine says, grinning widely. “It's such a good school! Oh my god, I mean, I know this is about the room and I don't mean to impose, but would you mind if I asked you a few questions? I'm still trying to navigate my way around and it would help so much to talk to someone who's already been through all of it ...”

Kurt stops in the middle of the kitchen and looks at him and he doesn't really have the time for this, and he doesn't want to give Blaine any false hope, but … he seems to mean it. And Kurt can't turn down such a simple request. Also, he kind of really wants to help. He doesn't want to live with a freshman. That doesn't mean he can't offer some helpful advice.

They end up not really talking all that much about rent and standards of cleanliness and stuff like that at all. Instead, they talk about school, then move on to music from there, and somehow end up discussing their favorite crappy reality TV shows, in which they seem to have frighteningly similar taste.

When Kurt eventually does check his watch, he's surprised to see that Blaine has been here for almost three hours and they've gone through several cups of coffee and almost an entire cheesecake he had baked out of pure frustration the day before.

“Wow,” he says. “I didn't even realize it was so late!”

Blaine blushes, immediately puts down his cup. “Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to -”

“No!” Kurt exclaims, maybe a little too loudly, surprising even himself. “I didn't mean it like that. This was … fun,” he says, and finds he actually really, really means that.

“It was,” Blaine admits and blushes even harder, staring down at the table top with a small smile on his face. “Thank you for … just … thank you. I haven't met many people here yet and I really appreciate the chance to talk to someone other than my older brother for once.”

“You have a brother?” Kurt asks.

“I'm currently living with him,” Blaine explains. “He has a couch. It's not ideal. But by the time I was accepted into NYADA all the good housing was gone and he offered to let me stay with him until I could find something better -”

“That's really nice of him,” Kurt points out. “But, yeah, sleeping on a couch is not the best way to live for any extended period of time.”

“Well,” Blaine says. “That's why I'm here. I mean, not that I expect you to pick me, I didn't – I mean – you probably have hundreds of people who want to live with you, you're awes- um, I mean, this place is awesome, I only meant -”

“I know,” Kurt cuts off his rambling and finds himself blushing too against his will. “I know what you meant.”

“Okay,” Blaine says, relieved. “Uh, I guess I should be … going? Now?”

Kurt hesitates, and mentally kicks himself for it. Blaine is a potential roommate. And a freshman. And the first new person he's met in a very long time with whom he just … clicked. He likes him. It definitely helps that he's very cute too. Or maybe that doesn't actually help. He's not quite sure what he's thinking anymore. “Yeah,” he says finally. “I have your email. I'll let you know once I made a decision.”

“Or you'll see me around campus,” Blaine says, and blinks up at him shyly.

“Always a possibility,” Kurt says, and he can't stop smiling even though he hates himself for it just a little bit.

**

All through the next day, his thoughts keep returning to Blaine, and he tells himself it's natural, Blaine was one of the very few, if not up until now the only person who seriously met his roommate criteria.

Deep down, he knows that that is not why he can't stop thinking about him. But he chooses to ignore that fact.

That evening, he is presented with another option when his friend Elliott offers to take the room since he's tired of living on his own.

And suddenly, Kurt has a problem.

**

“Santana?”

“What?” she looks up at him, busy taping the last of her boxes shut. Three days until she moves out.

“I should give the room to Elliott, right?”

“Do you want to give the room to Elliott?”

“Of course. He's, like, my best friend.”

“Ouch.”

“Apart from you. But you're a dirty little traitor who's abandoning me.”

“I love you too.”

“I know I could live with him without us murdering each other.”

“So give him the room.”

“It's not that simple.”

“Because of the Hobbit-sized freshman who was here the other day.”

“He has a name. And that's not it.”

“I know he has a name, you have only mentioned it a few dozen times the past few days.”

“Elliott should really have the room.”

“I agree.”

“Do you think it's a good idea to live with someone you're attracted to?”

“You're attracted to Elliott?”

“No! What? No!”

“I know.”

“It was a hypothetical question.”

“Sure it was. It's also hypothetically a very bad idea.”

“And yet you're moving in with your girlfriend.”

“That's so not the same thing.”

He sighs. “I know. I know it's not. What am I going to do?”

She shrugs “Whatever you want. I have your back either way. But for now, can you hand me that roll of tape over there?”

**

He does run into Blaine on campus a lot, but he can't say that it's entirely by accident. It's not like he's looking for him, it's more that he's developed a sort of … Blaine-radar. A certain ability to spot him in any crowd no matter how busy the corridor.

“Hey,” he calls out, and Blaine stops, turns around to him, and the way he smiles, so brightly, so obviously pleased to see him … oh _god_ Kurt does have a problem.

“Kurt,” he says. “Hi!”

They have run into each other a few times now, talked for a few minutes every time, and Kurt has not made this easy for himself, but in the end, he thinks he's weighed all the pros and cons of his decision and he doesn't believe at all that this is the right thing to do, but he has made up his mind anyway.

“I wanted to talk to you,” he says.

Blaine nods. The crowd around them is thinning, it's late afternoon, people are heading home or to study groups. “What is it?”

Kurt takes a deep breath. “Do you still want the room? Because, if you do, it's yours.”

“Oh.” Blaine lowers his eyes, looks a little uncomfortable. “Kurt, I -”

“I know it's been a few days, and you -”

“I can't,” Blaine says, and Kurt feels his face fall.

“I – oh. Okay. No, of course, no big deal, I just -”

“I want to,” Blaine interrupts, looking up at him, and Kurt can't quite read his face. “Believe me, but … I'm sorry, I should have told you sooner, it's just that I -”

“No, that's fine,” Kurt assures him. “It's fine, no big deal at all -”

“I feel bad for leaving you hanging like that,” Blaine says. “I can take the room, I didn't think -”

“Seriously, don't worry about it,” Kurt says. “My friend Elliott can move in. He asked the other day. I'll be fine. It's – I just wanted to – it's fine.” He swallows. “So, you found something else in the meantime?”

Blaine's face turns very red and he lowers his eyes again. “Um. No. I'm still looking.”

“Oh.” Kurt shakes his head. “Yeah. No. Cool. Uh. Good luck with -”

“You have a lovely apartment,” Blaine says. “And under different circumstances I would have loved to move in. But I think for now I should stay with my brother and keep looking and just -”

“You don't need to explain,” Kurt hurries to say, and he doesn't know how he could have been so wrong about this. He feels … ashamed. Silly. Uncomfortable.

“No, I absolutely have to,” Blaine says, raising his head to meet his eyes. “That's the whole _point_.”

“What do you mean?” Kurt wants to know.

Blaine opens and closes his mouth a few times, then lets out a long breath, obviously preparing himself. “I just really think that it's not a good idea to move in with someone you're kind of attracted to,” he says. “Call me old-fashioned, but I kind of like the idea of taking it slow.” His eyes widen and he adds, almost panicked, “Not that I'm assuming that there is anything to take slowly … or at any speed, really, I was just – I don't want you to think it's because I don't like you or anything, because I do like you, that's why I can't live with you, I mean, you should always like your roommates, but not the way I like you, I like you kind of a _lot_ and oh my god please make me stop talking?”

Kurt laughs, and feels just a little bit dizzy and and overwhelmed and _happy_ and relieved and he knows his face is not any less red than Blaine's but he doesn't even care. “Will it make you shut up if I invite you out for a cup of coffee?” he asks.

Blaine is quiet for a second. “That might work,” he says.

“It's not a date, though,” Kurt says, and Blaine's eyes only flash disappointment for a second before he nods, letting out a shrill little laugh.

“No, of course, god, no, I wasn't even thinking that -”

“Think of it as more of a pre-date,” Kurt clarifies, and he can't deny that he kind of enjoys this.

“A … what?” Blaine asks, confused.

“I'm all for taking things slow,” Kurt continues. “We have that in common. So how about coffee now, and you let me plan a real date for this weekend?”

“A real date,” Blaine echoes, and just stares at him.

“If that's okay,” Kurt says, feeling just a bit uncertain again.

“That is _so_ okay,” Blaine says, beaming. “Really. That is so, so okay.”

“I'm glad to hear it,” Kurt answers, and beams back at him.

They stay in the coffee shop until it closes and Kurt almost forgets to text Elliott that he has the room.

When they walk to the subway together, he lets Blaine take his hand and can't help grinning the entire way.

So, the past few weeks may have been a bit more exciting than he had liked. But in the end, he still has someone he likes to share the rent with, and, on top of it, he has a date for this weekend and the possibility of many more dates. With Blaine.

He links their fingers together and swings their joined hands between them and feels very, very hopeful about the future.


End file.
